Are gun guys into fine art prints?

I’ve always wanted to do a run of fine art prints of my night time photography. My wife has been a classically-trained artist since she was first in galleries at 16 years old in Northern California. I’ve seen her create such beautiful replicas of her original art that I always wanted to try my hand at some of my own.

Here’s the problem — the current state of commercially available art in America is abysmal, for the most part. People usually cruise on down to Walmart or Hobby Lobby to buy a super-cheap print that’s been mass-produced to go in their living rooms. This post is not intended as a criticism of those people (they’ve been trained to accept that as normal), it’s more so a reflection on the race-to-the-bottom path we’ve been on that devalues the quality of printed art at a massive commercial scale. For as little as $13 at Walmart you can pick up a large and colorful print for your home. We’ve been trained to buy art based on “good value” and not based on its true artistic value. The value that comes from cherishing a true work of art — something that is unique, emotional, and meaningful.

Now before you say it, I know, there are some people that just don’t value art that much. That’s fine. But maybe the rest of us can inspire a renaissance of sorts, returning to the beauty and quality that truly fine art provides.

Here’s my plan. Over the next year I’m planning to offer a small selection of high-quality canvas fine art prints.

Over the years, I’ve worked with various printers across the country. I’ve finally found the right print house for this project. A small art-focused print shop in San Antonio that prints on the finest Artisan Archival Canvas with archival grade Epson Ultrachrome GSX inks. They use a superior poly-cotton blend engineered to provide a wide color gamut, exceptional contrast with a consistent canvas texture. I want to get away from the mass-produced, high-quantity norms of the commercial art world, make it all in America, and give people something they can connect with.

Everything this print shop does has a bespoke feel, you can feel the rich texture of the canvas in your hands, and weigh the tasteful thickness of it.

The question remains, are gun dudes really that into art? Are the details of fine art appreciated? We buy a lot of cool gear at very high prices, it’s not like we don’t recognize quality. My gut says given the recent interest in expensive timepieces, cigars, and other worthy “flexes” that there’s a growing crowd who are tuned in. Time will tell.